This invention relates generally to milking barns and more particularly to automated milking parlors in which cows are directed through the milking process by the use and control of mechanized devices. Over the years mechanization of milking barns has continuously increased due to the increase of labor costs and standards of sanitation. By the use of mechanically operated gates on stalls, electrical control devices, and a variety of floor plan arrangements, automated milking parlors have been devised which greatly reduce the amount of manual labor required to milk a herd of cows. However, the floor plans, gating arrangements, and stall facilities previously devised have no automated milking procedures to the fullest extent possible, and further improvements for the reduction of labor costs and the increase in sanitary conditions is desirable.
Moreover, automated milking parlors previously devised have relied primarily on electrical circuitry and electronic logic and control devices for actuating and sequencing their operations. Since water spray and wet surfaces are common and indispensable in a milking parlor, the extensive use of electrical and electronic equipment is undesirable because of the hazards of electric shock to personnel and cows, and of the cost of protecting against this hazard to the fullest extent possible. It is, therefore, also desirable to provide a milking parlor automated primarily by power and control devices and circuits which are not electrical.
It is, therefore, a major object of this invention to provide an automated milking barn which further reduces labor costs, substantially increases operating safety to personnel and animals, and maintains excellent sanitary conditions.
It is another important object of this invention to provide an automated milking parlor in which the operating mechanisms and the actuating and sequencing devices are substantially all pneumatically operated.
It is another object of this invention to provide an automated milking parlor of the type described which is so arranged and controlled that a single operator can handle up to eight milking stalls and can milk approximately 60 cows per hours.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an automated milking parlor of the type described in which the preparation of a cow for milking includes feeding of a controlled mix and quantity of feed and warm water udder spraying for a controlled period of time.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an automatic milking parlor of the type described in which each milking stall is equipped to automatically provide a predetermined ration of feed on either a free flow or fixed charge basis, the stall floor washing is conveniently accommplished, and an automatically releasing type milking machine can be adapted to actuate the stall gates for exit of the milked cow and entry of one which has not been milked.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an automated milking parlor of the type described in which flow control of the cows is partially achieved by cow contact devices which positively ascertain cow positions, and has manual overrides for direct operation control.